The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-12
AREMARKABLE COLONY.
That of the Beers in Southern Africa
Lovers of Liberty.
Nelc oyk San.

bOeF FARMERS OtClaIeu IIiiG IuSJ
never would consent to British rule.
Their fathers. they said, had left
their homes in Cape Colony to es-
cape British domination, and now
they in turn were ready to abandon
their farms and bury themselves in
some region far northward, even
among savage tribes, if they might
thus maintain their Independence.
So it happened that some time be-
fore their brethren set up the South
African republic and went to war
for their independence, 700 Beers,
men, women and children, yoked
their oxen to big wagons that were
piled high with all their movable
property, and set out across the
kalahari desert to find new homes in
the depths of Africa.
The Sun has already told some of
the terrible sufferings in the parched
Kalahari region, and of their toll
some two years pilgrimage, during
which many of them perished before
they reached the rerdant and salu-
brious plateau where they at last
planted their future homes. They
had travelled over 1000 miles to gain
Humpata, the site of their new set
tlement, which is almost directly
west of the Portuguese town of Mos
samedes, and about $50 miles fr' 10
the Atlantic ocean. The German ex-
plorer Benwitz has recently visited
them, and has brought back some in
teresting news of this remarkable COL
ony.
There they are, blue. eyed men and
women of European ancestry, in the
midst of wild tribes who are not
always friendly~ Awhile ago Chief
Jau attacked the village, but the
Beers had plenty Of powder and ball,
and taught his tribe a lesson they
! will not soon forget. They have
reared their houses, built OF wood and
clay and covered with thatch, upon
a rolling plain through which runs a
river. There are usually two rooms
in the little cottages. Their furni.
ture is very primitive. They cannot
easily renew many of the household
articles they brought from the Trans
vaal, and so they pack them away
and bring them out only on festive
occasions. The largest building in
the place is the little church, where
the head of the colony conducts d.
vine services on Sundays. The colo
nists are Protestants. About the
only book they have is the Bible, and
the children are taught to read from
its pages.
The Beers till no more ground than
is necessary to provide them with
grain and vegetables; but the coun-
try is full of game, and the men and
boys spend great dealof their time
! hunting. They kill many elephants
and hippopotami. When they first
went to Humpata they could not de-
scend from the mountainous border
Of the plateau to the coast region ex-
cept along a narrow footpath. They
used to drive their oxen down, carry
their wagons in pieces down the de-
clivity, and then put them together
and haul their ivory and hides to the
coast. With the help Of the Portu.
guese they have built good wagon
road through the mountains. Now
every month they send little cara
van to Mossamedes to sell the pro-
ducts OF the chase, and carry back
to their homes in the great wilder
ness such wares Of Europe as they
require.
The young girls are trained by
their mothers in all household cares,
and many Of them since reaching
their new homes have been welded
to young men in the colony. The
men take the greatest pride in their
guns and cattle. Their herd suffered
terribly on the long march from the
Transyaal, but from the survivors
they have reared plentiful supply
Of stock.
Here these white people are living,
voluntarily exiled from all signs of
civilization except such as they have
reproduced in their little village; and
yet they think their solitude and in
dependence are rot so complete as
they ought to be. The thought
troubles them that Portugal claims
sovereignty over their territory. Por-
tugal has not attempted in any way
to interfere in their affairs. They
have preserved complete liberty.
They form little republic, and the
voice OF the majority rules. Still, to
many of them, the idea is insupport-